


bad dreams

by sleeponrooftops



Series: raising webhead: a parenting guide, attempted by the science boyfriends [5]
Category: Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-05-17
Packaged: 2017-12-12 02:56:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/806363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeponrooftops/pseuds/sleeponrooftops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter has a nightmare, and Tony’s paternal side really starts to show.</p>
            </blockquote>





	bad dreams

Tony’s lying half-draped over Bruce, Bruce’s fingers trailing absentmindedly through his hair while he reads, glasses perched on his nose, when the idea blossoms.  He blinks out of his half-slumber, hot breath puffing out over Bruce’s naked stomach, and Bruce tugs on his hair, making a small noise.  When Tony doesn’t speak, he tugs again and says, “What?”

 

“Hold on, still processing,” Tony says, and Bruce hums.  Tony smiles at the fact that he understands, that Bruce has got so under his skin that sometimes he doesn’t even need to speak.

 

Tony lets the idea keep forming, and he starts mouthing things to himself until Bruce is sighing and taking his hand out of his hair to reach over to his nightstand, pulling open the top drawer and tugging a tablet out.  Tony takes it, tapping through it until he can open a new screen, and he squirms out from under Bruce, pushes open his legs, and settles between them, leaning back against Bruce, the tablet resting on his belly and the screen popped out over it.  He works for an hour before Bruce grunts and threads a hand in his hair, tilting his head back until he can see the blue-tinted gadget.

 

“What is it?” he asks after a few moments.

 

“Well, I was thinking about the other day, when Peter got stuck on the monkey bars, how that was very spiderlike, you know?  Hanging off something, or sticking to it, rather—it makes sense.  So, what if he has the abilities of a spider, but they just need to be enhanced.  These would attach to his wrists, and they could be filled with cartridges of webbing that I’ll design later, and he could shoot them.”

 

“You’re turning our son into a superhero,” Bruce sighs, scratching at Tony’s scalp before releasing his hair.

 

“I think it would calm him down when he gets into situations like that.  It would remind him of who he is and what kind of power he wields, and then he’d be able to get himself out of problems like being stuck to the monkey bars.”

 

“Hm,” Bruce says, leaning back against his pillows.  He’s quiet for a few moments, thinking, until he says, “Okay, fair point.  Do you think we should talk to him about what happened?”

 

“Eventually.  I mean, he did get stuck to the monkey bars because of his powers.”

 

“Or should we wait until he asks?  I don’t know, Tony.”

 

“Hey,” Tony says, tipping his head back so he can see Bruce, “Stop worrying.  You’re doing amazingly with him.  I love you.”

 

“I love you, too,” Bruce murmurs, leaning forward to kiss his temple.

 

He’s about to say more when a red light flashes on Tony’s tablet, and then Jarvis is speaking, “Sir, it appears Peter is having a nightmare.”

 

“How does he know that?” Bruce asks as Tony frowns and looks back down at his tablet, pushing away the web shooters to open the camera on Peter’s room.

 

“I programmed Jarvis to watch for any signs of distress while he was sleeping or whenever he was alone in his room.  It’s a side program, just something to keep an eye on him.”

 

“Are you just going to keep doing adorable things without telling me?”

 

“Shut up,” Tony grumbles, though he’s smiling.  It fades quickly when the camera pops up, and Peter is curled in a little ball, blankets kicked off, Ollie clutched tightly to his chest, whimpering softly.  “Should we wake him up?”

 

“I don’t know,” Bruce sighs, “I was reading about children and nightmares before we got Peter, and—”

 

“You were reading _parenting books_?”

 

“I was nervous!”

 

“You are such a mom.  Go on.”

 

“There’re just different ideas about it.  Some say you should, but some say you shouldn’t, and then there’s the idea that if you do, they won’t be able to get over their fear.  I don’t know—maybe we should just wait it out, let him wake up on his own.”

 

“Jarvis, keep an eye on him.  Inform us if it gets worse.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Did you read him a bedtime story before he went to sleep?” Tony asks, shutting down his tablet and getting out of bed.

 

“I did.  He wants you to be there, as well, Tony.”

 

“I will.  I’m sorry,” Tony says, frowning, before he disappears into the bathroom.

 

Bruce sets about getting ready for bed, slipping into a pair of sweats in case Peter comes in from his nightmare, and then putting away his book and tablet, commanding Jarvis to dim the lights, and getting under the blankets.  Tony reappears, sticks his tongue out when Bruce tells him to put on pants, and then slides into bed as Jarvis shuts the lights entirely.

 

They’ve been asleep for four hours before their door creaks open and Peter pads into the room, dressed in Hulk pajama bottoms and an Iron Man shirt because he wanted to have both his daddies, Ollie hugged tightly to him.  He sniffles as he walks over to the bed, and he looks up at it doubtfully, his lower lip wobbling.  “Calm down,” he whispers to himself, “Be brave.”  He takes a moment before winding up and throwing Ollie onto the bed, and then he grabs fistfuls of the duvet as far up as he can reach, trying to pull himself up only to end up on his bum on the floor.  His breath hitches, and tears fall freely down his face, so he pushes to his feet and stumbles over to the head of the bed, smacking it and calling quietly, “Dad—dad— _dad_!”

 

Tony mumbles something and turns over, falling onto his stomach and pushing up on his elbows.  “Peter?” he asks into the darkness.

 

“Dad, I had a bad dream,” he whispers.

 

“Oh, sweetie,” Tony sighs, reaching over and lifting him up onto the bed, “Where’s Ollie?”

 

“I threw him up next to you.”  Tony looks around until he finds Ollie before handing him over, and then he turns again, lowering Peter down between him and Bruce.  Peter squirms around until he’s on his side, back pressed against Bruce’s side and eyes intent on Tony’s face.

 

“What was your bad dream about?”

 

“Getting stucked on the monkey bars at the park,” he mumbles before wiping at his face.

 

“Hey, come here,” Tony whispers, pulling Peter toward him and holding him in the circle of his arms, “It’s okay, baby, you’re safe now.”

 

“Tony,” Bruce murmurs, “Stop talking.”

 

“Peter’s here.”

 

Bruce is awake immediately, turning onto his side and reaching out a hand to ruffle his hair.  “Did you have a bad dream?” he asks, and Peter shifts around until he’s on his back again, and he nods.

 

“It was scary,” he whispers, and Bruce clicks his tongue, leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead.

 

“You can sleep in here, then.”

 

“Ollie, too?”

 

“Ollie, too,” Bruce says, smiling.

 

“Okay,” Peter murmurs before popping his thumb in his mouth and reaching for Bruce, trying to pull him closer.  He stops only when he’s sandwiched in between his dads, and Tony leans over him to kiss Bruce softly before they settle back down to sleep.


End file.
